stress relief Archives - Clear Your Stress

Every day is filled with little distractions and stresses that can take you off your game. Whether it is the telephone ringing, pressures at work, expectations from your wife and loved ones at home, and just managing your day-to-day life, we often find ourselves filled with stress and without an outlet for it. By taking a little time out of each day for yourself, you can relieve stress naturally using these four techniques.

1. Healthy Foods and Hydration

One easy thing you can do to restore your vitality and reduce stress is to take better care of your body by providing it with proper nourishment. Most modern foods are processed and have been stripped of most of their nutritional content, that is the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that fuel your body’s many intricate processes.

However, try not to think of it as a diet. Instead, simply incorporate more healthy meals into your weekly menus. Try incorporating one meal a day that includes mostly raw foods and vegetables. In addition, be sure that you are getting at least 64 ounces of water a day, or more if you exercise. While it may seem counter-intuitive, by taking care of your body, you will feel more energized, confident and stress-free.

2. Don’t Forget to Move

When asked how he manages to run several multimillion dollar companies, Richard Branson simply remarked “I work out every day”. Getting out and moving your body is essential to ridding yourself of stress. It does not even have to be strenuous exercise, but more so you are just getting in touch with your body and getting the blood circulating. A daily 30-minute walk is a perfect place to start. This exercise will release endorphins in your brain, lifting your mood and banishing your stress.

3. Massage

If you have ever had a professional massage, you know how well it can relieve stress and alleviate tension held in the body. While it would be really nice to have a professional masseuse at your beck and call, for most of us this is not an option. However, you can perform a little self-massage every day. Find a comfortable place on the floor to lie down on your back. Place a tennis ball under your back, and use your legs to roll up and down, and side to side under your back. You can extend this process to the hips, buttocks, shoulders, thighs and hamstrings as well. Doing this directly before bed will help you achieve a deeper more restful sleep, as well.

4. Meditation

Many experts report that meditation is hands-down the most effective way to cure stress. It is very difficult for most of us to do ‘nothing’, to just sit down in silence and pay attention to our breath. However doing so has so many incredible health and psychological benefits, most notably reducing stress, and often allowing you to take a new perspective of your problems or situation.

While it can seem intimidating to a complete beginner, meditating is easy. Simply find a quiet, comfortable place to sit with your eyes closed. Fold your hands and rest them in your lap or place them on your legs in a balanced and symmetrical way. Set a timer for even just 5 minutes to begin with. During that time, focus only on the sensation of your breath coming in and out of your nostrils. As other thoughts arise, acknowledge them, and then let them slide away as you return your focus to the breath.

Author: Rocky C Rhodes. For more information on how you can learn to meditate to relieve stress naturally, or to browse some of the best guided meditation CDs to help you begin meditating, check out themeditationworkshop.com today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rocky_C_Rhodes

For millennia, humans have known the benefits of using certain herbs to treat various strains on one’s mental state. Those herbs, the same as they were a thousand years ago, are still quite useful in this day and age. Many people suffer from chronic stress and anxiety, often without finding relief from prescription medication. For moderate cases, here are a few herbal remedies that can be useful in relieving stress and anxiety:

Valerian

This herb is the basis for the drug Valium. A nervous system sedative, a cup of tea made from this herb will give a deep and refreshing sleep with none of the after effects that can be experienced after taking a sleeping pill. During World War II, British doctors used Valerian to calm the nerves of people traumatized by bombing raids. On the other hand, tinctures of Valerian are used to stimulate people who are tired all the time.

Slippery Elm

This is a tree that grows in the Northern and Midwestern United States. The pinkish inner bark is used to ease stress and anxiety. It’s such a gentle herb that it’s used for people recovering from diseases. One way to use it is to mix the bark powder with cold water to make a paste, then add boiling water to it till it’s smooth.

Ginseng

Ginseng also helps with stress and anxiety. Types of ginseng are native to both China and North America, though the North American ginseng is protected. The root of the plant is used and it’s a hard plant to grow. Even if it’s grown successfully, the root needs to be six or seven years old before it’s ready to be harvested.

Like Valerian, ginseng can also give energy to people who are fatigued. It also stimulates the body to produce more amino acids, which are depleted when a person is under stress. Some herbalists believe that the best way to take the ginseng root is to eat it raw shortly after it comes out of the ground. When it’s that fresh, the Ginsenosides are at their most potent. Ginsenosides are chemicals that have anti-stress properties.

Chamomile

This herb has long been known for relaxing a person who drinks it in a tea. The plant is easily grown in all types of soil and has a lovely, apple-like fragrance. Many naturopaths recommend using chamomile to ease indigestion, as it’s very effective at soothing the stomach and digestive tract. The blossoms can be added to a warm bath to calm down anxious children, and some herbalists claim that if a pregnant woman bathes in chamomile her baby will not be fussy.

These herbs are all widely available at herb and health food stores and can be used after consulting your doctor and making sure there aren’t any interactions between an herb and your medication. Stress and anxiety are difficult to deal with, especially on a regular basis, so finding the treatment which works for you is of the utmost importance.

Emma is a freelance writer living in Boston. When not writing, she enjoys reading, baking, and indoor rock climbing. Informational Credit to Physical Therapy West Bloomfield